Break-Lane
by Phoenixfire123
Summary: Lives must find a way to push through, through happiness and sadness, frustration and pleasure, and even after death. A collection of slice-of-life and every day moments for the Z Fighters. A one-shot collection of various characters and pairings throughout Z. Formerly Breaks from the Fast Lane.
1. Eyes in the Crowd

**A/N** : I didn't expect to get any new stories up soon, but here we go. This will be a collection of one-shots and short stories for DBZ, set mostly during periods of "peace." Misc. stuff as I get random scene and story ideas but don't qualify for a huge story, all with the general themes of family, friendship, goody-goody feels like that. They won't be connected without being mentioned otherwise, and are in no chronological order. The majority are fluff, but a couple will probably eventually handle heavier themes, so I'm putting T for the rating even though most one-shots will fall in the K/K+ rating.

If I do stories with multiple parts (2-3 at most) then I'll do my best to update all parts close together. Otherwise, updates will be slow as ideas come to me at random. My idea is that it will be easier to keep motivated and have my small plot bunnies all in one place.

Most will be within the DBZ timeline, and if any touch on either DB, GT or Super era or else being AU I will make note of it at the beginning of the chapter. Pairings will be canon, unless I have sudden inspiration otherwise, and characters will range depending on the chapter, all of which I will mention at the beginning.

One of these days I won't have a huge author's note at the beginning of my stories. (I doubt it)

Starting out with Gohan/Videl since they're easy for me, and I love them.

Characters: Videl, Gohan, Chi Chi (main) Also: Mr. Satan, Goten, Goku, and Pan

Pairing(s): Gohan / Videl

 **Disclaimer** : Last I checked Akira Toriyama is not a broke American woman. As such, this is fan content for other fans to enjoy.

* * *

Videl was tired of this. The twelve-year-old took a couple steps away from her father, as quietly as possible. Luckily, only a couple random civilians took notice of her, with the majority still lapping up everything her father said. She brushed her hair back, tightening one of her pigtails.

Dad was different after the Cell Games. It had been a year, and he was distant with her, and soaked in the glory the press and world gave him. There was less time of them fighting in his dojo, him training her, now that he had a dozen new "students" that didn't know how to punch if they watched a video teaching a baby how to do it.

She traveled the throng and sighed in relief. Mr. Satan's loud voice echoed over the crowd behind him. There was the attention given to them when her father won the World Tournament and she won the Juniors. However, that exploded into being a world savior. She adored the respect; she will be lying if she denied it. They lived more comfortably for the first time since Mom died.

However, it was lonely. Videl wished she could talk to her father without it being like he was putting on a show. Like he was now.

The young fighter searched through the masses. What she was looking for was an escape route. She'll go downtown and find somewhere to hang out. Maybe she should call Erasa. It would be nice to talk to her friend, and her dad trusted her with a cellphone.

Her eyes caught sight of a family at the back of the crowd. Two boys and a mother, it looked like. The older of the two was around her age, holding his baby brother as he grabbed his mother's arm. "Mom, don't worry about it. It's fine. It doesn't bother me, and it wouldn't have bothered Dad either."

The woman took her kid's hand, looking as if she was searching a way through the crowd to Mr. Satan just as Videl was looking for a way out of it. She was angry about something. Her stomach curled, and Videl suddenly felt defensive. The preteen could not stand not knowing why she felt something, especially if that was over a negative emotion. Thus, she discarded her immediate thoughts of escape and trailed after them.

"Come on, Mom. Goten won't like the loud noise." Videl believed the kid was lying. She could hear the infant's giggles as he waved his hands around excitedly. Her lips twitched into a smile.

Their mother stopped her angry mutterings, none of which Videl could hear properly, and knelt down next to her child. She rested a hand on his hair. "Gohan, you are such a brave, sweet boy. You made your father and everyone proud of you for what you did." She glanced over her shoulder, eyes blazing as she continued. "I'd like for the rest of the world acknowledge that at least."

Videl had to shuffle through the crowd to not be lost over the excitement for her father. When she caught sight of the family again, the boy was looking around to avoid his mother's gaze, embarrassed. For a second, their eyes met. Videl's widened momentarily. He looked familiar, but she couldn't remember seeing him before. She stopped in her tracks, almost being knocked down by everyone around her. He didn't seem to notice her, as his brother tugged on his hair and his mother cupped his cheek and turned him to face her.

"You are right, though. I'm getting worked up when I should watch over the boys I have left." She kissed her son's forehead lightly. "Let's get out of here and finish shopping then we'll stop by West City before we head home."

Videl did not hear the end of the conversation, or how the boy replied. She had to pick herself up, and being knocked over drew attention to her. "Hey, it's Videl Satan." A couple people in the crowd muttered. Her cheeks warmed in frustration, and she went back to her former plan. Escape, and she will catch up with her father when he stopped being an idiot later.

Five minutes later, she was free from the masses and sucked on a lollipop on a bark bench. The air was peaceful. She thought about that young, familiar looking boy and why his mother will be so upset at her father. "Hm." She bit down on the hard candy, the crunch a barely audible sound in the warm afternoon air. She supposed that was an answer she may not get the chance to hunt down.

X_X

The sounds of a baby cooing echoed in the small nursery. Gohan rocked his daughter with his goofy smile. Pan reached up, giggling as she patted his face. Videl smiled warmly at her family, with the sounds of Chi Chi, Goku and her father talking outside.

She stepped closer to her husband, and tapped Pan's cheek lightly. She grinned. "Remember when we first met?" Seeing Gohan with their daughter made her remember catching sight of him holding Goten and talking to Chi Chi that day. Although, to be fair, they didn't technically meet.

"Uh, yes?" He replied, confused at her playful tone. She rolled her eyes and kissed his cheek.

"Whatever you say, nerd."

The door burst open before they had a chance to continue the conversation. Goku and Hercule had their hands full of a variety of decidedly-not baby foods. "It's okay, Chi! I was able to eat this stuff as a kid. That's what gramps told me."

Chi Chi bit back her annoyance. She shot a glare of betrayal at her and Gohan for allowing the two grown men to fawn over the baby and give her inappropriate foods. Videl stifled her giggles as Gohan tried to talk his father out of it as Pan sucked on an apple.

She had the answers she wanted from back then, and the best – and oddest – family she could ask for.

* * *

 **A/N** : Cheers! This was fun to write. Let me know what you think and thank you for reading :). I have a few other ideas, none of which are written right now. I'll see you in the next one, hopefully soon!


	2. Paparazzi

**A/N** : Didn't expect to get another one up so soon, but this is a shorty and something I've had in my head for almost a year.

I have gone on record to say I don't like paparazzi or media drama in my stories. This idea was too cute to pass up though. Just don't expect much like this XD.

Characters: Trunks, Vegeta, Bulma.

* * *

The young boy didn't like the camera people. They got in Mom's face and didn't leave his parents alone. Most of the time, Mom handled it well, unless they tried to pry into her personal life. Dad often looked like he wanted to pound them to dust. He probably could, but he had enough restraint to hold back everything but sharp comments. If Dad did beat them up that would just give them more to talk about.

Sometimes, they focused on him. These times Trunks hid behind either of his parents, or grandma and grandpa. Because of this, anyone who did not know him personally thought he was a shy kid. Well, they were stupid. He simply didn't want faces, big clunky equipment or notepads in his face.

They were at it again. Trunks hung back as they pestered Mom for some thing or another. His dad was glaring at them, as Bulma tried to dismiss them. They were a block away from home after shopping, and once they were safe at home then they could kick them out. Dad looked ready to punch something. It did not help that his mood was already sour for having to carry half a dozen shopping bags. Trunks imagined him punching their faces in. Eh, that would leave a mess.

The four-year-old took his mother's hand and helped usher her away. The sun was setting over the buildings of West City, and grandma should have food ready soon. Nothing could interrupt food time. Not his mother's busy schedule or dad's training. Everyone ate at dinner.

Also, Trunks really did not like how they made Mom and Dad so stressed. Stupid camera people. He already thought they were too high-strung most of the time. That was why he liked to lighten them up with his pranks. Although, that meant he would need to play hide and seek first while he got camera footage of their reaction.

Was it hypocrisy then to hate the camera people? No, the child thought not.

They were almost home. Most of their pursuers had given up. One of them was still persistent. He wanted to know about… whatever it was, complicated grownup stuff. Like how Mom and Dad got together or one of Mom's new inventions. That was what they were usually asked. Boring. Who would even want to know the answers? He thought it was better when he got prank-video reactions.

"Mom, let's go. Grandma will have cookies done." He tugged on her hand. It was easier when they drove or flew when they went shopping. It was just to the department store a couple blocks away, though. Thus, they walked there. He ground his teeth and glared as the camera focused momentarily on him.

Bulma was about to make a statement to get the guy off their back and smiled sadly down at her son. Trunks frowned. He didn't like Mom giving in. He didn't like having to wait for food either. He continued to glare, and when the camera was no longer focused on him he made up his mind.

He stepped out from behind his mother and held up his hand. He wasn't very good yet, but he was annoyed and would try anything. Before anyone could stop him, he fired a small ki blast and destroyed the camera. There was a crackle as the mechanism failed and burst into flames, singeing the guy's hands. The man blinked in disbelief.

Vegeta laughed, tossing his head back and making no attempt to hide his amusement. Trunks puffed up in pride from hearing the deep reassuring sound. It was hard to get Dad to laugh.

"What did you do?" Bulma sighed as the camera guy backed away nervously. No one will believe him if he said what happened. Trunks deflated. He'd like if Mom acknowledged his brilliance as well. Vegeta tapered off into chuckles, walking the rest of the way to Capsule Corp. As he passed, he ruffled Trunks' hair roughly.

"It wasn't me, woman. Now, the boy's right. I'm hungry."

Bulma sighed, covering her mouth to hide her smile. Her boys were crazy. "I should make sure your father doesn't become too much of a bad influence on you." She spoke to her son with barely hidden affection. She gave him a one-armed hugged and finished the walk home. "Let's get food into you two before any other mishaps happened."

* * *

 **A/N** : Thanks for reading! I've gotten a few more one-shots written out, although I'm not sure when I can post the next one. About a week, at latest? I have a few real life things on my plate that I don't know when I can edit and polish off what I have done.


	3. Lifetime Ahead of Us

**A/N** : I had fun with this one, though I'm not sure how it turned out. Story of my life, really. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!

Story title has been changed. Never been a fan of longer titles, so I shortened it. Yay!

Pairings: Krillin/Eighteen

Characters: Krillin, Eighteen, Seventeen, and the rest of the Z Fighters

A couple years after Cell's defeat.

* * *

Krillin stared into the mirror, and no matter how hard he looked it was still him who stared back. Him, in the nice suit, terrified eyes, and a large grin on his face. This was it. He rubbed his hands down his sides, checking to make sure his clothes were in place. Really though, he just got sweat from his clammy hands on them. "Heh…" He redirected his eyes back to the mirror. Still him.

There was a pounding noise on the door. "Hey, Krillin, I'm coming in!" Yamcha opened the door without waiting for a response and strolled over to his friend. "How are you holding up?"

The short man turned to his friend. He slapped himself, and confirming that he had feeling and was not dreaming, he replied. "I'm fine."

"You should be ecstatic. Today is your day!" Krillin coughed and rubbed his hands together at the words.

"Yeah, I am." He chuckled. "This is catching up with me, you know?"

Yamcha placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, man. You've died twice. You dreamed of a day like this for ages. You deserve this." He started to guide him out of the room. "Everyone's starting to arrive, and you should greet your guests."

"Right, right." Anytime he could stop sounding so mechanical and rigid will be nice. Of' course, his soon-to-be wife would roll her eyes and take slight offense to that. What he meant was that this day felt like he was on autopilot so far, and he would like to take control of his body again at some point. 'I've been dead and this is the biggest out of body experience I can imagine.'

Their wedding party was small, and as such so was their venue. The actual ceremony will be outside, but the small gym Bulma helped rent out for them will be where the reception will take place. Eighteen thought it was crazy for not setting up everything outside. "Knowing my luck, it'll start raining and everything will be ruined." He replied to her comment. It was a precaution.

"Krillin!" Gohan ran over, stopping on a dime in front of him, and Krillin had to reel back out of fear of being ran over. The teenager laughed. The boy had grown a few more inches since the last time he saw him. That was how it was with Goku too, until his friend was taller than him, and now his son was as well. He felt a twinge of sadness over the memory of his friend and quickly brushed it aside to smile back. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Gohan. You've grown, haven't you? I'm impressed." He narrowed his eyes and measured the thirteen-year-old's height with his hand. A little envious, but it was mostly a nostalgic joke now that most of his friends were taller than him.

"Yup, Mom says I'll probably end up as tall as Dad." Krillin would not be surprised. Yamcha chuckled and waved goodbye to them as he went to check the catering arrangements.

"Hm, lucky you." He grinned. "It's good to see you." He glanced over the kid's shoulder. "How's Goten and Chi Chi doing?"

"Good." He beamed and turned to his family. Chi Chi had Goten in his arms, and Krillin guessed the baby was asleep if he wasn't making any noise.

He looked at Gohan. "How's being a big brother going?"

"Ah… haha. All right, I guess." He curled his shoulders in and shuffled his feet. "Wish Dad was around to help out."

"Me too." He missed Goku so much. He wanted his best friend to be here for his wedding. He grappled with the emotions and forced them off. This was not a day to be sad. "You know how upbeat he was, even with everything. He won't find it any good to be sad right now." He added. The young boy nodded and ran off when his mother called him. Krillin watched him go. "He has grown. Good for you, Gohan." He said to himself, with a note of affection in his voice. What happened to the little boy Goku brought over to Kame House? He felt old, and did it really take him this long to get married?

His eyes traveled over everyone there. Bulma went over to Chi Chi, with the toddler in her arms leaning over to get a better look at Goten. The two mothers chatted as Gohan laughed at either something they said, or Trunks' raspberry. Krillin was surprised that Vegeta also decided to show up, although Bulma had likely forced him. The two got married almost six months ago, and Krillin decided if those two could than it was about time he followed suit.

The Saiyan Prince hung back at the refreshments table, sharing barbs with Tien and Yamcha as Chaozu helped himself to a couple cookies. Vegeta must have been in a good mood, since he did not look any more annoyed than he typically did around them. Krillin shook his head. That was the best he could ask for.

Dende and Piccolo were by stage. Since the Namekians didn't have marriage customs, the young guardian was eager to participate in Earth's. However, Krillin could not help but feel embarrassed that the guardian of the planet himself was overseeing his wedding.

He was about to head over to where Roshi and Oolong were sitting, see if his old master could help with his nerves, when the door leading outside open. Krillin paused, thinking that everyone had already arrived. Wary eyes from around the room stared as Seventeen beelined toward Krillin. The cyborg stopped in front of him and raised a hand in greeting. "Yo."

The park ranger was still in his uniform, and his piercing eyes matched his sister's perfectly. The former monk rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, Seventeen. I thought you said you wouldn't be able to show up."

He shrugged. "I decided I might as well. My sister will only get married once." Seventeen smirked and tilted his head to the side, hair falling over his face. "You aren't planning to leave her a widow anytime soon?"

Krillin snorted at the morbidity of the statement. "Nope, rather not repeat dying anytime in the near future."

Relaxing, Seventeen studied the room. "Good. Why isn't this outside?"

"The ceremony will be outside, we're about to finish moving things out in a minute, but the reception will be in here."

"Lame," His about-to-be brother-in-law returned his gaze to him. "Where is she? I'd like to see her before this starts." Krillin gave him directions, and Seventeen waved him goodbye as he left. The short man's posture slumped. He was still nervous around him, with the infrequency Seventeen had with his visits. Nonetheless, he seemed pretty chill about the whole thing. Krillin was just happy to have this opportunity, and that his wife and her brother didn't end up killing all of them.

X_X

Seventeen knocked on the dressing room door and waited. He chose not to answer when she asked who was there. Instead, he waited with a smile while she grumbled on the other side.

"Took you long enough," she answered before she fully opened the door. She crossed her arms and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "You're an idiot."

"Good to see you too, sis." He mimicked Eighteen's posture. She growled and pulled him into a quick hug. Seventeen's eyes widened momentarily, and he chuckled softly, patting on her the back. "Bit out of character, isn't this?"

"Psch," she pulled back, cool blue eyes meeting his own. "Don't expect me to do it again, you ass. You knew you would turn up when you initially denied the invitation, didn't you?"

He gave a nonchalant wave of his hand and entered the dressing room. Eighteen was almost done getting ready. Chi Chi and Bulma had helped her with choosing makeup to help give color to her almost unnatural pale skin, but that was all she needed. She noted that even though her brother spent the majority of the time in the sun, he also kept the pale complexion that stuck with them.

Seventeen smiled. "You look good. Happy, even. I think the dwarf is good for you." She punched him lightly.

"Watch it. I can still kick you to the next block."

"Only that far? Have you been slacking, sis?" After a beat's pause, Seventeen held his fist up to her. She rolled her eyes and knocked hers against it before grasping her brother's hand with both of hers. He rested his other hand on top and teased. "Don't become a house wife and forget to visit your favorite bro every once in a while."

"Don't get trapped in the wilderness and let a bear eat you, and maybe I'll think about it." Eighteen replied. Her voice was dead serious, and the only sign that she was teasing was the quirk of her lips into a smile.

"Deal." He stepped back, and they both dropped their hands.

Eighteen looked at her hands and picked at her white wedding gloves. "Urh, you got dirt on them. Deal's off."

He laughed and turned toward the door. "Love you too."

She made a show of wiping her hands with a damp napkin. "Thanks for coming, Lapis."

"'Course. I'll let you do your hair, although it'll just look the same as before."

She pointed toward the door. "Out."

He saluted her and left the room.

Once Seventeen left, she picked up her brush and ran it through blonde locks. Despite what he thought, it took longer to manage than he believed.

Her mind went back to when Bulma helped get her ready earlier.

" _All set," the heiress smiled as she stepped back from adjusting Eighteen's dress. "I love what you picked out, by the way."_

 _The blonde nodded at the compliment. Bulma surveyed the other woman, and her posture relaxed._

" _You know, I didn't think it at first, but you two make a good couple."_

 _Eighteen blinked and looked down at the dress. Something about the words made the whole thing sink in. She was about to marry Krillin. The guy who was barely over half her height, one she could probably beat up easily, the total and sweetest dork she somehow fell for when she hadn't been close to anyone besides her brother in years. Now, she had a friend network to go along with it._

 _When Gero activated them to fight, or even when Krillin wished away their explosives, Eighteen never thought this would be how her life would end up. She met Bulma's eyes._

" _You didn't have to pay for so much of the expenses." She scoffed. "I'll have you know I hate being indebted to anyone."_

 _Bulma tutted. "Don't worry about it. Take it as me living through you. Vegeta wanted a private ceremony, and honestly, so did I. Being the richest woman on the planet, it would have been a media circus if we made a fuss about it. Thus, it's not so much helping my friends in that regard."_

 _Friends. Eighteen's lips pressed together and she nodded. "Thank you, I suppose."_

" _No problem." Bulma winked at her. Eighteen turned away and sorted through her makeup._

" _How is he doing anyway?" They hardly had any time to talk this morning. They rushed off so they could make it to the midafternoon ceremony._

" _Probably having a nervous breakdown. But if I know him, then he's likely beaming more than that shiny head of his."_

 _She took a moment to consider the words, happy to imagine Krillin happy and shot a half-hearted glare at the teasing jab toward him. "That's good."_

Eighteen stared at the mirror. A light blush rose to her cheeks as the emotions of the day caught up to her. Huh, she didn't know she was still able to.

The bride smiled.

* * *

 **A/N** : I'm not confident in writing actual wedding ceremonies, or vows, so I ended it there. Mostly friendship and family more than romance because of that, heh.

My headcanon is that Seventeen and Eighteen will call each other by their given names if they're alone and having a serious conversation. I don't know why, but it felt most natural, and I changed it but it didn't feel right so switched it back to her calling Seventeen Lapis.

Not much more to note for this one-shot. I have one more written and a few more planned but with finals approaching I have no idea when I can get another update up.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you all have a great day.


	4. Brothers

**A/N** : I have concluded that Saiyan babies are adorable. I've realized the majority of the one-shots so far involve babies or children in some way. Heh. That will change in the future, but I guess I've been in an adorable kids mood lately?

Enjoy! And thank you for any support on this story.

Pairings: Gine/Bardock

Characters: Raditz, Gine, _Goku_ Kakarot, Bardock

* * *

Raditz rolled on his back and glared as his little brother sniffled across the room. He knew that any second now it could turn into screams, and he did not want to deal with that. Kakarot caught his eye and smiled at him. Hmpf. He might as well go up to him now that he was behaving. The child sat up and walked over to where the baby Saiyan sat.

"Be nice to your brother, Raditz." Gine paused from her work to glance at her oldest. He did not get what the problem was. All he did was throw Kakarot out the window to see if that will teach the baby to fly. At least he didn't hit his head, or else Raditz will never hear the end of it.

"Yeah, yeah." He smirked at his mother and bent down to stare at the little Saiyan. Kakarot giggled and threw a pathetic punch at him. That was the greeting Bardock taught them, so he picked that up fast. That was something. He caught his brother's fist and looked at his mother. "What was his power level when he was born?"

"You'll have to ask your father." The Saiyan female said, distracted, as she cleaned off her knives. "He should be back from his mission today."

Raditz nodded and rotated his head rapidly. There was a spare scouter around here somewhere. They had it so he could practice reading power levels from the device, which prompted several groans and slaps upside the head when Bardock thought he went too slow. Unfortunately, he failed to find it and returned defeated to his brother's side.

"You don't look that tough, Kakarot." He poked his brother on the stomach, prompting another giggle as the baby tried to bite his finger. Raditz smirked and ruffled the kid's spiky hair. "That's okay, though. Big brother Raditz will beat up anyone who mocks you for being weak." He picked his brother up, and immediately Kakarot buried his face in his long hair. The child coughed and importantly puffed out his chest.

Gine finished cleaning up and walked over to her sons. She smiled softly as she dropped to her knees to be eyelevel with Raditz. "I'm sure you will."

He nodded fervently, and hugged his baby brother closer. "Yeah! And I'll teach him how cool it is to be a Saiyan." Kakarot gurgled something that Raditz took as an affirmative. He pounded his brother on the back. "No one will want to touch us, and he'll do everything I say. Right, Kakarot?" The child yawned and used his hair as a pillow, curling up in his arms. "I still think it's a good idea to throw him out the window to see how he'll fly." He mumbled.

"Raditz." She narrowed her eyes at her son and chided him. "Don't throw your brother out any windows until you know he can fly."

He brightened up. "So, I can when he does?" She ran a hand through her hair and refused to comment. The child continued, "Where's his first assignment anyway? Since he's so young and weak he'll have to have to be on it for a while, right?"

Her hand twitched and she flicked Raditz on the forehead. "He's _three months old_ ," she growled. He grumbled and rubbed his forehead.

"Right…"

Gine stood up and turned toward the door, a smile blooming across her face. Raditz didn't know what she was excited about until Bardock walked in. He nodded in greeting to his father and then tried to pull Kakarot out of his hair. The baby wailed in protest.

Bardock was irritated as Gine came up to him with an inquisitive look. "Frieza is…" He checked to see if the communicator on the scouter was off before he continued, tossing the device to the side. "An ass. Can't see good work if it slapped him in the face."

She grinned and reached up, wrapping her arm around his neck as she led him to the table. "I know. But I'll have food ready for you soon, and the boys are happy you are home. So, cheer up." She patted his chest and shoved him into the seat at the head of the table. The Saiyan warrior relaxed, an embarrassed gleam replacing the frustration in his eyes.

While his parents were busy, Raditz caught the scouter before it hit the ground and fit it on his face. It was a little big, and he had to hold it there as he turned it on his brother. He frowned and facepalmed, with the scouter dropping to the ground. "Give me a break, Kakarot. You may not even survive to being thrown out windows."

Bardock focused on his sons and glanced at Gine. "They getting along now?"

She crossed her arms, with her lips pressed into a fine line. "He's talking about throwing him out a window, what do you think?" He reached across the table and grabbed a fruit.

"That sounds reasonable to me."

Gine muttered under her breath and whacked her partner lightly on the head. "However, yes, they're starting to get along." She marched up to her cooking area and aimed a ki blast to start the fire.

"Dinner in ten!"

X_X

Raditz twisted around to look at his brother. Kakarot was sleeping peacefully as he grabbed his brother's tail and hugged it close to him. The Saiyan yawned and Raditz flicked his tail out of the way so not to get chomped on. A second later, Kakarot's jaw snapped shut on thin air, and he wiggled closer.

He watched him for a couple more seconds and determined that he was honestly asleep. "I hope you do survive to adulthood, Kakarot. You better not mess your first assignment up. Big brother Raditz will look out for you." He yawned himself and closed his eyes.

The two brothers fell asleep, with Kakarot gnawing at Raditz's shoulder, and Raditz squeezing his brother's tail in annoyance until they were both fully unconscious.

* * *

 **A/N** : And then a one-armed Namekian kills them with his drill attack, hehaha ha ha… *cries*

I'm always anxious on writing characters for the first time. As such, I decided to stop fretting on trying to get this just right and post it. Also, no idea why throwing baby carrot head out the window kept coming up. I wanted to do a gag to put in contrast Goku _actually_ hitting his head later in life, and then Raditz just wouldn't let it go.

Last couple updates I didn't know how quickly I would be able to. Now, I know for sure that I won't get anymore done for a couple weeks at least. Send me your energy so I can get through finals! (nah, you don't _have_ to.)

Thanks for reading! And Happy early Thanksgiving for my fellow Americans!


	5. Point Blank Rivalry

**A/N** : I'm back! School is out for me, so I have time to work on new one-shots. This one was complete at least two weeks ago, but I had no time to edit it. Still think it is kind of meh. *sigh*

Characters: Vegeta, Goku

* * *

Goku landed outside Capsule Corp. The ground shook as he landed, which caused the Saiyan to chuckle nervously. Guess he needed to learn to curb his energy. He could have used his Instant Transmission to visit, but the Briefs and Vegeta made it clear that they did not appreciate him appearing in thin air without an invitation. Vegeta had blasted him in surprise when he teleported into the gravity room.

Honestly, the Saiyan Prince would have done it even if not out of suprise.

That was okay. Goku loved sparring with his rival, and after he caught up with Briefs' cooking. He made his way inside, and a small head popped out of one of the nearby rooms.

"Hey, Uncle." Trunks nodded in greeting then stared around him. "Is Goten around?"

"Hey, Trunks." He grinned. "Nope. It's just me today. Chi has the boys around to help for Gohan and Videl's wedding."

"Hmpf." The child gave a disinterested snort, but mischief danced in his eyes. "Tell him to come by soon. Thanks." He disappeared to finish whatever he was doing.

Goku waved goodbye and headed toward the kitchen. He was surprised – though he wasn't sure why – to find Vegeta there bringing food to the table. The younger Saiyan couldn't sense his rival training, so the next logical place with the kitchen. The Saiyan Prince ignored him, instead sitting down and helping himself to his personal feast.

His mouth watered, and with no preamble, he dropped in the seat beside Vegeta. He reached for the steak yet was stopped as Vegeta blasted his hand with a small ki blast. Goku pouted, "Meanie," and grabbed the plate of vegetables instead. The other Saiyan glared at him. A minute later, he relented, though he shooed Goku to get his own from the counter.

Goku never once believed that the two of them will have a relaxing moment like this. Friendly sparring matches, sure, that was his hope since he spared the Saiyan when they met. They were always opposites, and despite Goku trying to be friendly, the two ended up at odds despite his best attempts.

After Buu, though, they not only got into matches where they weren't actively trying to kill each other (for the most part), but Goku found that Vegeta could be pretty chill. He was still an ass, but Goku was used to it.

The two dug into the food with little concern. And soon, like most of their interactions, it turned into a competition. When Goku finished his food first, he reached once more for the Saiyan Prince's prize.

"Hands off, Kakarot." Vegeta growled.

"Come on, 'Geets. I already finished mine." In response, Vegeta pulled his food closer to him.

"Who invited you over, anyway?"

"No one."

Vegeta grunted. Goku huffed and stood up, walking over to the fridge. This was probably as peaceful as it could get between them. Since it was that way… Goku had not had the chance before, and while not the retrospective type, he knew when things needed to be said.

He returned with another mountain of food. He chugged half a milk carton before he spoke up. "I never got around to thanking you. For agreeing to fuse with me against Buu, and helping holding him off when we were on the Supreme Kai's world."

"Idiot!" Vegeta growled. He pointed at him. "I didn't do it for you. And I will – _never_ – do that with you again."

Goku nodded pensively. "Yeah, I know. You've said that, and I agree! I rather get stronger on my own." He rolled over the corn on his plate. His voice was thoughtful as he went on. "But we have to admit that neither of us will have survived any of it on our own." He drilled off a bite of corn with his teeth. "In fact, you didn't." Vegeta rumbled dangerously, with his fists clenched. Goku was unfazed.

"Shut it, Kararot." The Saiyan Prince ratted into him. "And you may be stronger than me now, but I will surpass you. And the next time anything happens, it's my turn to handle it."

Goku smiled. "What if I'm still stronger than you then?"

Vegeta's face grew steadily red, and he threw a knife at his adversary. Goku caught it, with the blade bending with the force of his hand. He placed it down like nothing happened. It was fun to rile Vegeta up. He wasn't great at it, but with Vegeta, getting a rise out of him was just so easy.

"As if. You'd been lucky to surpass the Prince of All Saiyans for so long."

"Mhm…" Goku bobbed his head, to the other's great annoyance. "Okay. I'll let you handle whatever happens next, at least at first."

Vegeta's temple throbbed, and he resisted the urge to pummel the younger male. How ever he thought of him, Kakarot was a good stepping stone to continuously test his own limits. They had a mutual relationship of decking each other's face in. He polished off the remaining food on his plates and brought them to the sink. Then he glared at his rival.

"Either get out of my sight, or go to the gravity room so I can show you a Saiyan's true power." He marched out of the room without waiting for an answer, intent to return to his training either way.

"All right!" Goku grinned and followed after his friend.

X_X

Goku studied the new training bots as Vegeta turned on the gravity. He couldn't understand the setting because Vegeta made sure they were programmed into either the Saiyan or intergalactic language. When he asked about it, the Saiyan Prince said it was a security protocol so no one (mostly him) will activate them without the older Saiyan around. Rude.

"Are you ready, Kakarot?" Goku faced Vegeta, surprised that he actually was asked. Vegeta was not above hitting him from behind, as he learned against Vegeta's Majin state. A smile bloomed across his face, and he waved the Saiyan over.

"Yeah, come at me."

"Tch." Vegeta flew at him, and he blocked the incoming kick. He allowed the momentum to push him back a couple feet, dropping low and trying to trip the shorter male up. Vegeta jumped and fired a ki blast down on his face. Goku bounced it back with one of his own and charged at his rival.

The two soon got into a rhythm, neither one for words besides a few mild verbal jabs. Goku relaxed and let his body take over. He knew an array of meditation techniques, but the easiest way for him to center himself was with the thrill of a fight. It was easiest with Gohan or Piccolo, as Vegeta had a ruthless edge that would not let him put his guard down for a minute.

His Saiyan nature adored these fights for that reason. The two Saiyans only expected to give their best. Well, they warmed up to it, and before they can go all out the environment around them frequently became desolate, or one of them was knocked out (Vegeta), but they both got a good workout in nonetheless.

Goku paused in midair, feeling the gravity try to force him to the ground with no luck. He raised his fist. "Hey, Vegeta. I've been working on this new move." He focused but before he could, Vegeta appeared behind him and slammed him into the ground.

"If you have to waste time charging it in a heat of battle, it's worthless!"

The younger Saiyan propped himself up and fired a ki blast into the ground to right himself before Vegeta could attack again. He blocked a blow with his knee. "Doesn't your Final Flash take a charge time?" He grabbed Vegeta's arm and threw him over his shoulder. The Saiyan twisted in the air and fired a quick Galick Gun at him, with Goku dodging to the side. "And the Spirit Bomb beat Buu… that was _your_ idea."

Vegeta did not respond. Instead, he flew to the offensive. Goku concentrated then teleported behind him, pushing a ki blast into his back. The Saiyan Prince landed on the ground with a thud. A second later, he was up and glared at his rival.

"I hate you."

Goku chuckled. Despite the words, he could tell Vegeta was enjoying himself. He always had pent up aggression directed toward him that was best resolved with a sparring session. The best they could do was make a habit out of it. He grinned and turned Super Saiyan. "Alright, I'm ready to start." Vegeta smirked and transformed himself.

"You're on, clown."

X_X

Both Saiyans sat up amidst the destruction. Their clothes were in tatters, and the gravity room was destroyed. Goku laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Oops."

Vegeta growled and fired a blast at Goku's face. "If the woman makes me sleep on the couch tonight for this then I will kill you slowly, Kakarot."

Meanwhile, Goku glanced down at his destroyed clothes. He picked at the ruined fabric with a frown. "Oh man. Chi's going to kill me for ruining these. I didn't come over in my gi."

"Like I care what the harpy will do to you. I already said I'll do it first." Vegeta stood his worn body out, and kicked a scrap of metal aside.

The sound of an angry Bulma drew closer, and both Saiyans stared at the door wearily.

"Hey, remember that food place we went to with Bulma and the boys? Retreat there for now?" Goku offered.

Vegeta grumbled and glared at Goku's outstretched hand, as the younger man pinpointed a ki on that side of town. With little choice (he rather not listen to Bulma's complaints after the gravity room was fully repaired from the last disaster two days ago), he grabbed the idiot's hands. "Let's just get out of here, Kakarot."

* * *

 **A/N** : Here is my dedication to the best rivalry ever. I wanted them to have more of a heart-to-heart but they both were like 'nooo, we must fight!' so the sparring session took most of the chapter. Figures. One of these days, with yet more Saiyan chapters under my belt, I'll be more comfortable writing the most stubborn race in existence.

I want to try to complete a couple more one-shots by the new year. If not, everyone have a good one and happy holidays!


	6. Chocolate

**A/N** : Whew, it's been a while since I got one of these up. I meant to have this one up on Valentine's Day, but I didn't get around to writing it in time.

Enjoy!

Sometime before Buu, on Valentine's Day.

Characters: Videl, Erasa, Gohan

Pairing(s): Gohan/Videl

* * *

Videl sat on the lawn outside school, with a sizable bag of chocolates in front of her. She picked one out and unwrapped it before popping it into her mouth. Erasa sat next to her, accompanied with her own bag of chocolates from the day. The blonde stared at her friend curiously, her fingers shuffling through the choices in front of her.

"You know, you're vicious girl." Erasa plucked a couple chocolate pearls up, holding them to the light and eating them a second later. The sun did cast a nice dark sheen on the chocolate, and this was the kind where one wanted to eat the award as fast of possible.

The pigtailed fighter wiped her hands on the handkerchief her friend handed her earlier. A moment later she responded. "Really?"

"Yeah," Erasa grinned. "You turn down boys every other day of the year, but now you string them along just so you can fulfill you sweet tooth."

A beat passed then Videl pounded her fist into the ground. "That's not true!" Her face turned pink. "That's not what I mean to do at all." She stuttered. Collecting herself by clasping her hands in front of her, she continued. "Look, I didn't accept them as a romantic gesture. I let every person know that approached me today to not expect anything from it, and that it didn't mean anything. I was firm with that."

She reached back into her bag, with a slightly guilty expression on her face. "I wouldn't have wanted anyone to have wasted their money either. And I do love my chocolate." Drawing out a caramel, she rolled it between her fingers contemplatively before eating it.

"Okay, okay." Her best friend teased. "I'm not that much better either. Although, I wouldn't mind accepting a couple dates from a few of them."

School had gotten out about ten minutes ago, and the two enjoyed themselves before they headed home. Videl decided to because if she went home with the amount of sweets she did now, her dad will get the wrong impression and have a fit. It was not unusual for her to take her time, stop a few places, or stop crimes before she returned home. An extra half-hour won't deliver the same heart attack to the world champ. Meanwhile, Erasa was on the lookout for her mom coming by so the two could do a girl's movie night.

The pair were surprised then when Gohan jogged up to them. Their new classmate had a long trek home, so he should have left town already. The teen did not appear to be in a rush; although, he seemed frazzled.

"Shouldn't you be getting home?" Videl asked. The question was not even meant to be nosy. Despite usually being late, the impression her classmate gave off was that he liked to at least try to keep to a schedule. She smiled at him. Gohan's faced flushed, and she rose a brow in question. He was so weird.

Also, kind of adorable. She let herself think that now that they (or she, rather) moved on from being hostile to actual friends.

"I will, I just thought-" He appeared to debate his words. Videl continued to eat her chocolate in silence while Erasa watched with an amused expression. Gohan gave an intimidated glance at what Videl amassed over the day. Then he decided to just go with it. "I thought I will give you this." He pulled out a box of chocolates from her bag.

Now, both of Videl's brows shot up and she gaped at him. Seeing the stupidity and rudeness in that, she reached forward and checked the label. Chocolate and raspberry. Not bad. "Oh. Thank you." She replied after what was an eternity for the young man. "I appreciate it, Gohan."

He responded with a nod. Erasa fluttered her lashes at him. "Where's my chocolate?" The tension in the air turned awkward, and Videl was happy for her friend's interruption since she felt she missed doing something else otherwise.

"So-sorry. That was all I picked up." The pink hue on his cheeks turned red.

The flirty blonde winked at him. "No problem! I believe Videl is the perfect person for you to give them to."

"Huh," he rubbed the back of his head. "I should get going. You know, a long trip back home. See you two tomorrow."

Videl snorted after she placed the box of chocolates to the side. "Tomorrow's Saturday, nerd."

He chuckled nervously. "Well, I should go." He ran off.

The dark-haired teenager sat on the grass, her eyes locked to Gohan's gift for several seconds. She bit her lip and then untied the small ribbon. Erasa waved a hand in front of her face when Videl had one of the treats halfway to her mouth.

"What?"

"You didn't tell _him_ in no uncertain terms you weren't interested."

* * *

 **A/N** : This isn't the one of the one-shots I originally planned to get out next (those are still trapped behind inspiration and writer's block) but I can't help writing fluff for my favorite ship sometimes. My goal is to get more up as soon as I can, yet my brain and a part of me apparently thinks that should take forever.

Until then, I'll catch you all later. Have a great one!


	7. Reconciliation

**A/N** : Here's the next little one-shot. Thank you to everyone who has read and supported these. It's good to see little plot bunnies and short tidbits of story get feedback.

This one is for some Yamcha appreciation. He and Bulma seem on better terms by the Buu Saga, so this takes place between Cell and Buu.

Characters: Yamcha, Bulma, Vegeta gets brought up a few times but he doesn't actually show up.

Pairing(s): Yamcha/Bulma (past), Vegeta/Bulma (mentioned)

* * *

Yamcha stopped outside Capsule Corp, standing there feeling like an idiot. The last time he had been here was with a gathering with the Z Fighters a few months ago. The last time he came here on his own, well, he did not like to think about it. He sighed and cleared his throat. Might as well go in. He opened the door and went inside.

The public and reception area of Capsule Corp was not that different from what he remembered. A couple new inventions were on display, and the colors were switched around. Nonetheless, the space was pretty much the same. His hands were sweaty as he walked to the front desk, feet slowing to a halt once there. They felt like stones ironed to the floor. The young woman there appeared to be a teenager, and the baseball player was surprised. Usually, the Briefs were stricter on their hiring process and only hired people out of high school. Then again, he read somewhere that the company started an internship program.

He gave a charming smile to help calm her nerves. Meanwhile, his stayed frayed and stuck on his upcoming talk with his friend. "I'm here to speak to Bulma."

"Name?" The girl clicked a few buttons on her computer. Yamcha gave a nervous chuckle.

"I don't have an appointment. I just want to talk."

The brunette looked nervous for a second before she steeled herself. "I'm sorry. Mrs. Briefs is not accepting any walk-in meetings. I will have to ask you to leave."

Damn it, he should have called his friend personally. That would have been awkward, so he had refrained against his better judgment. He cleared his throat. "Can you ring her up for me? Tell her one of her friends – Yamcha – is here? If she does not want to see me then I'll leave without a fuss."

The receptionist sighed. After a pitiful once over of him, she picked up the phone. Yamcha waited in silence, his heart caught up in his throat.

A minute later, she returned her focus to him. "She will be out in a minute."

Wow, he had not expected Bulma to say yes. He swallowed and retreated to wait by one of the couches.

It was five minutes later when she came out, looking frazzled in her lab coat. In that time, Yamcha worried that she would change her mind, or that Vegeta would come by and physically throw him out a window (a second story one, with his luck). Either were possible, he decided. Thus, when he spotted her, he gave an actual smile in relief.

His ex tilted her chin up and looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Well, what do we have here?"

"I just want to talk." He clarified right away. "There's something that I want to say."

Her expression softened somewhat, yet her blue eyes remained hard. Despite the stress of being a fulltime scientist, one of the business heads for her father's company and being a mother, he still thought she looked beautiful.

Man, he lost his chance with her. And he lost it to the last person he would ever expect.

No, he was not here about that. He had to remember his reasons for coming.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Um, can we talk somewhere private? It's kinda personal."

Bulma debated it internally for a minute before she agreed. "Come on, then."

They retreated to one of the Briefs' private sitting rooms. Yamcha lowered himself onto one of the chairs as his friend held up a tin of her mother's cookies.

He missed the air not being tense between them. Not even as a couple, just in general. He reached for a cookie. Words stuck like barbs in his throat.

"What is it?" Several seconds passed of nothing, and Bulma's impatience and fire started to bleed through.

'Get this over with, man. Come on!' He thought. The baseball star leaned back in the seat and rested his arms at his sides.

"I'm sorry."

She blinked. She voiced carefully, "For what?"

Shrugging, he stared out the window. Then he figured it was best to look at her and forced his eyes to meet hers. "For, well… everything."

She nibbled on a cookie and narrowed her eyes. "You do have a lot to be sorry for." He nodded.

"I know. That's why I want to do this. I want to try."

Bulma collected her thoughts before she placed the cookie down on a spare plate.

"I don't hate you," she started. "I did for a while, but it just isn't worth my time." He gulped and shrunk back into the chair. She waved her hand. "That's not against you – much – all I'm doing is stating facts. You moved on, and then so did I." Her voice was sharp. He ate his cookie to have an excuse to not respond right away.

"I did." He blurted out prior to thinking of a better approach. "I hated you afterward, when I found out you were with Vegeta. I hated you a lot." He squirmed under her scrutiny. "The truth of the matter is that I did not move on. I cheated on you, but you remained wrapped up in my thoughts. It wasn't healthy." He scratched his cheek, tracing his scars. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees and stared at the floor. "That caused me to react poorly. I was an idiot, and that was not fair to you."

"Mhm," she hummed noncommittedly. When she refused to say anything, he went on.

"And now, I'm tired of that feeling. I want to go back to how we were on the best days when we were on the 'off' part of our relationship. As friends."

With her shoulders slumped, Bulma gave a slight nod at the words. "Right. I believe you. I do," she affirmed as he caught his disbelieving face. "We got together when we were both desperately looking for a relationship. That never really changed as the years went on." She paused. "So, do you have a girlfriend and that's why you're pulling this all of a sudden? Clean up all loose ends and guilt before moving on?"

Yamcha shook his head. "No, I'm as hopeless around girls as the day we met. For different reasons, but no better."

She chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Of' course you are. I hope I taught you some things, but that is asking for too much."

There was a crash in the distance, and his words scrambled in his mind at the interruption. They both gazed in the direction of the noise, Bulma with exasperation and Yamcha with trepidation. The genius was in between wondering if she should finish reconciling with her ex or check to see what her husband broke this time. He coughed. "I am surprised how well get along with him."

She took no offense at the comment and flicked a strand of hair out of her eyes. "I am too most days."

Bulma was happy, though. He could tell that much. That was the ultimate factor that caused him to come over today. Yamcha witnessed at their last gathering how Vegeta and Bulma bounced off each other. The Saiyan Prince was a million times better to responding to her barbs than he ever was. He had to accept the facts and continue on with his life. He was tired of being bitter.

He debated the last few weeks if he should simply cut all ties. That was easier said than done. He wanted to keep in contact with Krillin, Tien and the others, and Bulma organized most of their meet-ups. This conversation needed to happen at some point as the rest of their friend circle remained tight despite the infrequency everyone got together.

Yamcha stood up and placed his hands in his pockets. A weight lifted off his shoulders. The air was awkward, but he could handle that. "That's all I wanted to say."

She followed suit, and they walked toward the door together. "I won't invite you over by yourself any time soon, but I am willing to try this out. You're one of the only ones who understands when I complain about the press, anyway."

He thought of random reporters and fans cornering him in the street. Yes, he could empathize with that.

"I understand."

"I need to feed Trunks and then get back to work," she trailed off speaking to herself as she paused by the door.

"You aren't going to check what Vegeta broke?"

Bulma huffed. "He'll talk to my dad. I told him to be careful and not disrupt my work today. If I need to, I'll fix whatever it is tomorrow."

"Uh, huh. Thanks for hearing me out. I'm glad I came over."

She smiled at him. "Bye, Yamcha. Take care of yourself, and I'll call you the next time we all get together."

He waved goodbye and made his exit, while Bulma headed deeper into the Capsule Corp compound. His hand dropped to his side, and he shook his head and shoulders to dispel the last of his nerves. That went well.

Next time, he would continue to make amends. He could move on with his life, career, and maybe find another relationship. In time. He hummed and quickly left the building before Vegeta decided his energy had been here too long and to kick him out.

He admitted he and Bulma were happy with each other, but the guy still terrified him.

* * *

 **A/N** : I've never had to make amends after a bad break-up, so I wasn't sure how I would tackle this one. I just knew I wanted to and after I started writing it came to me relatively smoothly. Hope you enjoyed.

I probably shouldn't say this because I have no idea when I will get it up, but one (rather a couple) of these will be on how Vegeta and Bulma got together. Don't worry, I'll show the Saiyan Prince some love… eventually. When I'm comfortable writing for him. It won't be the next one; however, I do have a set outline for that story once I get around to it.

Thank you for reading and catch you all later!


	8. Flying & Freedom

**A/N** : Wow, has it really been almost a year since I lasted posted something for this story? I know I have other updates that should be more urgent than a one-shot collection without the suspense or leadup of chaptered stories, but the end of the last year was rough on my writing time. This is just a little something to get into the hang of writing again.

The idea came from DBZ: Kakarot because the flying in that game feels amazing, and the characters in the actual anime know not to fly through city streets with a ton of bystanders.

Characters: Gohan, Videl

Pairings: None, they're kids! (and unlike the first chapter I don't include a flash-forward of them being adults even though I was tempted)

* * *

Gohan loved flying. He was happy that Piccolo taught him; although, he also missed flying on Nimbus with his dad. Currently, the young child needed to pick up a boatload of supplies for Chi Chi (he did have his father's appetite, after all). His stomach rumbled at the thought. He turned around in the air, gazing up at the sky and wishing that Goku would get back from whatever training he was on after Namek exploded. It was a relief to hear that he was still alive from Porunga, but he was a kid and impatient to see his dad again.

"Hm… I'm excited to show him how much stronger I am. I didn't really have the chance on Namek." Because Frieza was an ass. He shrugged, and he spun in the air, embracing the wind as it buffeted through his hair. This was freedom. A laugh bubbled in his chest, and he let out a whoop as he dive-bombed to the city streets below. He pulled up at the last second and traveled another block until he gently touched down.

Once he touched down, he gave a sheepish chuckle and looked around. A few people looked confused, but none seemed to notice what passed them at such speeds was a child. Gohan scratched the back of his neck, and he whistled innocently as he strolled to the nearest store.

X_X

Videl rested a hand on her palm and chewed the eraser on her pencil. Now old enough to go to school, she found, without a shadow of a doubt, homework was boring. Couldn't teachers come up with more interesting assignments? They did have to keep the attention of children, after all! She huffed; she much rather be spending time in her father's dojo. The clock ticked slowly on her wall, and she was reminded that both her parents said she needed to finish her homework first.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and she glanced out the window. Videl didn't expect to see anything, what she did see was what appeared to be a young boy that couldn't be much older than her zoom past. She gawked and pushed her work and chair aside as she stumbled to her window. That made no sense. She was not on the first floor. Neither could she see where the kid gone. If not for the tremble that just now subsided in the windowpanes, she thought she would have imagined it.

"Mom! Dad! I just saw a boy fly by my window!" She ran to the door and swung it open. She heard a laugh from her mom and a grumble from her dad.

"That's a trick on your eyes, Sweet Pea. And you know you're too young for boys." Hercule called back.

"Urh, they don't believe me at all." The door closed with a snap, and she sunk to the floor, elbows resting on her knees. Videl imagined rocketing through the streets without the assistance of a vehicle in flight. Biting her lip, she placed her forehead on her arms. "I'm so jealous!"

* * *

 **A/N** : Hope you enjoyed! This was a fun short to do to try and get in the groove of writing again.


	9. Isolation

**A/N** : There is a long list of things I need to get done, but this is something to help me cope. Not super pleased with it, I am happy I got it done though and off my chest.

Takes place at the end of Z in the months before the memories of Buu (at least his description) were wished away. Pretty sure the dubbed name for their dog is Bee, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

Characters: Buu, Mr. Satan, Videl, Trunks and Goku

* * *

Buu was bored. He was often bored since the threat of his evil and chaotic side was defeated. The bubble-gum pink Majin was stuck in Mr. Satan's big house for a few months now. At least, that's what Videl said when he asked her how much time was left until he could go out to see the city like she did with her father, friends, or Gohan. Buu could not do that. He still had to wait.

The last time he had tried to leave (he was horrible at sneaking) was last week. The conversation went about the same with Mr. Satan.

"I want to go out."

"You can't. Everyone will recognize you and call the cops. That will get you and them in trouble." Hercule stated tentatively. He was always the same in these conversations. Buu didn't understand. Mr. Satan was his best friend. A lot of time they had fun together but just as much he was out there with the "press" as he called it and doing other fun or boring looking things.

"Why not? Buu is sorry." He pointed to himself. His view of morals remained simple, but he understood eating people was wrong now and so was straight up killing. They couldn't have their own fun if that happened.

Hercule put on a serious face. He nodded along to the words. "I know you are Buu; you're good now. But people have big memories and trauma of what you did, and they're not things people can forgive easily. The best thing to do is wait it out here and then you'll have a clean slate."

Earlier conversations, Buu agreed and let the conversation drop. This time he didn't. He was upset. "I want to go out!" Steam erupted from his head and Mr. Satan stumbled back.

"I'm sorry. It's too dangerous." There the conversation did drop.

So, Buu was stuck inside, still. Mr. Satan's place was huge. Bigger than the place he made (out of people). There were movies and games to play in the theater room, the kitchen was stocked with all sorts of different foods all around the world, although their private chef couldn't work in the home kitchen as often now with Buu living here. The gym was puny, but he had fun tossing weights around (that wasn't what they were for, but it was entertaining, and he hadn't broken anything since the first time), and sometimes when Gohan visited Videl they had pushups or other exercise related challenges. Videl played along too, but she dropped out with a laugh and a huff around the 80s, seeing how unfazed her boyfriend and houseguest were.

All those things were fun, and could stay so if he went back and did it. However, they were also dry and repetitive after the 500th time. All the activities lost their uniqueness and pleasure when he couldn't be creative for any more stuff to do. He almost broke something in the gym again in his frustration and then opted to stop. Mr. Satan will be upset when he returned home.

His current activity left him in the kitchen. Buu was eating a roast that he cooked up with a ki blast. It did not taste particularly good, but it would do. His stomach grumbled in agreement.

Videl walked into the kitchen and noticed Buu sitting on the counter. His pink form contrasted with the metallic sheen of the largely stainless-steel kitchen. He was hard to miss. "Oh, hi Buu."

"Hi." Buu smiled. At first, he did not know how to handle the little Satan girl. She was tougher than her father, yet she seemed more nervous around him than Mr. Satan ever did and avoided him completely the first three weeks he was here. That led him to not liking her right away. He liked people who liked him. However, the two warmed up to each other and now Buu had someone else to talk to or play games with.

The teenager walked to the fridge and opened it. She facepalmed and tried to hide her reaction by keeping her back to him. Buu still saw the tension there.

"Buu, you ate everything. Now I'll have to go out shopping again."

"Oh," Buu's mouth formed a small o with the word and looked at the time. He did not believe he was here long or really eaten that much. He pouted and munched on his roast. "That's nice." She could go outside; Buu couldn't. He tried not to be bitter toward her again. "What's a store like?" Another thing Buu did to bypass time was question people, so he could figure out what he could do once he was allowed out. Mr. Satan dedicated two nights a week to explaining how human culture worked, so Buu wouldn't cross any lines by accident once freedom came.

Videl turned to face him, with the frustration staying in her posture. "It's a place you go to exchange money for items." She dug out her wallet from her pocket and pulled out a slim card of plastic and a few green slices of paper. The teen went on to count the amount of paper, running calculations in her head on what she needed to buy.

"Okay," Buu bowed his head in thanks and then chomped on his roast. With the bite down, he asked. "Do we have a lot of money?"

"Yes, we do. You don't have to worry about that, Buu." She gave him a tired smile.

He finished his food and mumbled. "Buu bored."

"I know." He thought not; she could go out and see her friends. Not that Buu had a large group of friends, all he needed was Mr. Satan and Bee, but he liked the idea of opportunity outside the walls. She placed her bag on the counter and pulled out a device he remembered her calling a laptop. "Do you remember me showing you this?" He nodded.

"I'll login for you and let you use it while I go get more food. I won't take off the safety kids lock that Dad thinks I don't know how to get through. Your mind is too innocent for the dark side of the internet. Don't tell him I know how to remove it either."

"Remove what?"

"Good," she smirked and after a rundown of refreshing him on the best way to type ("I'll ask Bulma or someone to make a bigger keyboard for your hands."), he was left to his own devices with the laptop. The mouse was the easiest thing to use, thus Buu refrained from typing too much and went through Videl's bookmarks; the most interesting to him were videos from martial arts tournaments of a variety of levels.

That managed to keep him busy for a couple more hours.

X_X

Martial arts videos became dull soon enough. They were interesting though, and soon he had Mr. Satan bring him his own computer to mess around with. After a few more weeks, he ran out of ideas of things to search or try to explore on the "Internet." Computers were also harder to understand than video game consoles, so he only tried it shortly after waking up when his mind was still fresh.

Buu had no idea how long until he was allowed to go out was supposed to be. When he asked, he mixed up the days and weeks remaining. Everything blurred together. One day, he was in the giant house with Trunks as Bulma dropped him off for Videl and Mr. Satan to watch him while she went shopping in Satan City. He liked the kid well enough. Trunks wasn't as anxious as other visitors were around him. Although, he brushed off ideas of sparring, which Buu thought would be enjoyable after the martial arts videos. That's when the kid seemed nervous.

"That won't do." Buu was unsure if Trunks was answering his question about going outside or upset that he lost the game they were playing. The Majin puffed some steam and pressed the exit menu button.

"I want outside."

Trunks ran a hand down his face. The recently turned nine-year-old had little patience for the child-like stubbornness. "You can't go out. People would recognize you and there will be riots in the streets if people knew Mr. Satan let Majin Buu stay in his house."

"But Mr. Satan is my friend." Trunks sighed, and Buu was not ready to give up yet. "Can't go out because recognizing me?" He pointed to himself and the child nodded. "Then I won't look like me."

"How do you plan to do that?" However, Trunks conceded to the challenge of disguising Buu, also still a little sour his mom didn't want to buy the new toy drones he wanted. It would be a unique task, so they set to work.

"Why do I need this?" Buu asked as Trunks shoved a large hat on his head.

Trunks landed on the floor and looked up at him. "Because that antennae… thing on your head is one of the ways people will recognize you."

Rubbing his stomach as it grumbled for lunch, he imagined a nice restaurant he saw on TV to eat at. That will be fun. "Okay," he agreed. The hat almost fell off. Trunks sighed and returned to the closet.

"You're so big Buu. How did Mr. Satan find clothes to fit you?" In an effort to make Buu feel more welcome, Hercule had gotten a bunch of clothes for him. They were uncomfortable.

"You calling Buu fat?"

"No, no," the boy waved his hands down nervously. "Even if you weren't – I mean, you're really tall on top of that." He remembered Super Buu towering over Piccolo, and Piccolo was the tallest person he knew.

"Hm," Buu put on the overcoat that Trunks handed him. It itched his arms and stretched over his back uncomfortably. "Don't like, too warm." The clothes were stifling. All the airholes he used to help regulate his temperature were covered up. Trunks handed him a belt to cover the Majin symbol on his pants.

"Do you want to go out or not? This is the only way, and the fresh air will feel good." The only fresh air Buu got was in the backyards of Satan Mansion. To be fair, it was a large yard and sometimes Buu would play with Bee out there.

Buu grumbled yet finished getting his disguise. Food. Restaurant.

Walking around him, Trunks studied his handiwork. "You're not completely covered up, and it'll be hard for you to wear sunglasses. But I think we're good." Buu smiled and felt his face grow warm at the lack of an exit point. He puffed the steam out through his mouth instead.

They were halfway to the door when Videl caught them. She placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. "What are you two doing?"

"I want out!" Buu squinted his eyes at the annoying girl. Her hands tightened and her knuckles turned white but she did not drop her stance.

"You can't, Buu. It'll be too much of a hassle, for everyone, including you, and Dad. If you got caught." A tentative smile crossed her face and she reached up to put a hand on his shoulder. "It's only a few more weeks. Then the dragon will apparently make everyone forgot you." The teenager was still curious on how the wishes worked, but she was alive, so they must have.

Trunks crossed his arms and glared off to the side. "Stickler Auntie for the rules. It's a good disguise."

X_X

He still had a week until he could leave. He thought so; he may have slept longer than he imagined. Buu remembered when he first saw Mr. Satan's home. He was impressed and asked what it was made out of (not being people). The World Champion took a few minutes to boast on the – architect? – that built the mansion to his expectations. Buu tuned the conversation out and simply concluded that it was a nice home.

A month went by, and then another, and the home became smaller and smaller. It was still nice, and Buu had hundreds of things to do, but that list dried up fast. His patience was not the best so repeating the same group of activities to hardly any payoff tired him out. He was frequently bored. And tired.

Currently, the Majin was on the floor with Bee, the dog curled up at his side, already over twice the size Buu and Hercule found him in. The two were snoozing. Buu loved the pup, he didn't come up with excuses on why he couldn't do this or that (usually leaving and destroying something). The two played in the yard almost every day, with the dog tiring out before him, but Buu still enjoying the soothing task of throwing the ball back and forth.

The dog's nose twitched as voices came closer to the sitting room. Buu, also becoming aware of extra people in the home, rolled over and sat up. He often had to hide in his room when visitors or workers came. He would rather not. This time, though, there was no need. Goku walked in with Mr. Satan, and their conversation drew Buu's interest since he heard food.

"Yeah, thanks for offering Chi Chi your kitchen and for watching Goten while Gohan is over studying. I guess they have exams coming up soon. Heh, Chi says she appreciates it since we were running low on food."

"It's not a problem. I'll be happy to watch the kids, and your wife is a great cook, so that'll be good too."

"Yup," the Saiyan smiled and looked over to the Majin as he stood up. "Hey, Buu."

"Hi!" Buu grinned. Goku was high up his like list. He was fun to fight with, and the Saiyan defended him as much as Mr. Satan did before he got settled. Goku didn't come by much though and also didn't have time to deny him leaving. Buu prepped himself up for disappointment. "Do you want to fight Buu?"

Hercule audible squeaked and was at his side in a second, resting a hand on his arm. "Now, Buu, if you guys fight here, I won't have a home…"

"Yeah, sure!" The happy-go-lucky fighter slapped him on the back. "I'm supposed to be meeting Vegeta later. You can fight with us."

"But, uh, Buu still can't be seen by anyone. They'll freak out."

Goku shrugged the comment off and turned so he was facing both. "It won't be a problem. I was planning to Instant Transmission over anyway, and no one else will be there. Well, Piccolo may join us, but that won't be a problem."

Buu cocked his head to the side. "Buu allowed to go out?"

"It'll be fun." Goku scratched the back of his head. "Oh, wow, you really haven't been out in ages, have you?"

"Outside!" The Majin balled his fists happily.

Bee sat down next to him and barked, just as cheerful. Goku knelt down and scratched the dog behind his ears. "It won't be safe for you to be with us. But I'm sure if you talk to Goten he'll love to play with you."

"Thank you for this, Goku. Buu has been stir crazy for months." Mr. Satan rubbed a bead of sweat off his brow.

"Of course. I wish I would have remembered he would be stuck here. I'll let Chi know I'm heading out, and maybe ask for some pie for dessert later. That'll be a good refresher once everyone is done with their work."

"And pudding." Buu added.

"Pudding sounds good, too. I'll be right back, Buu."

The Majin was happy.

* * *

 **A/N** : Thanks for reading! I want to update Wait- When am I? finally and get caught up on real-life obligations, but I hope this was a somewhat enjoyable read from someone who is stir crazy stuck in her house right now. I will return to update this – eventually – with one-shots I've planned over a year ago sooner or later.

Stay safe and take care everyone : )


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